Raise a Mug of Coffee to Your Health

As a coffee lover, I looked for excuses to drink it. However, I never thought that health benefits would become one of those excuses. I have long thought of coffee as a guilty pleasure or that one last thing to give up to attain good health. How could I give up my wake up coffee or my coffee drink to get me through grocery shipping? With so many delicious options from hazelnut to mocha to vanilla lattes, the temptation was far too great! I knew that coffee with be with me forever despite any harm that could come of it. … Continue reading

Debunking Fitness Myths

I always wonder about those sweaty guys I see in the gym who do dozens of crunches, then stroll over to the vending machine to down a bottle of Mountain Dew. Unless that’s the only high calorie beverage they consume all day, I would think they would be better off drinking a bottle of water. That is if they ever want to see the six-pack abs they are trying to create via the crunches. Crunches won’t get rid of body fat. That’s one of the biggest fitness myths out there. The only way you are going to be able to … Continue reading

Foods That Can Help Boost Energy

Foods that Can Help Boost Energy There’s a lot of information on those tiny little food labels. It’s very smart to read before you buy! Keeping an eye on calories, fats, fiber, and vitamins can help keep you and your family healthy. Scanning for other specifics on the label can help you find foods that will help your body run more evenly and efficiently. For example, if you’re looking for foods that can give you an energy boost, look for two things: whole grains/fiber and iron. Whole grains help keep your blood sugar levels stable. When glucose levels are stable, … Continue reading

Low Vitamin D Levels Linked with Health Problems

An Austrian study took a look at the health problems that can come with low levels of vitamin D. Researchers followed more than 3,200 men and women from southwest Germany for eight years. Most of the participants had some form of heart disease, and the average participant age was sixty-two. During the study, the participants were tested weekly for vitamin D levels. Over the eight years of the study, 737 participants died — 463 deaths from heart-related problems and the rest from other causes. One of the vitamin tests showed that patients with the lowest levels of vitamin D were … Continue reading

Iron Supplements

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that nutrient needs should be met through the foods we eat whenever possible. However, fortified foods and dietary supplements may be necessary in some cases. Iron is found in both animal and plant foods in two different forms — heme iron (from animals) and nonheme iron (from plants). When diet alone cannot restore deficient iron levels to a normal range, supplements may be needed. Iron supplements are generally available in two forms: ferrous and ferric. Of the two, ferrous iron salts like ferrous sulfate and ferrous gluconate are best absorbed by the body. … Continue reading

Why Does My Body Need Iron?

Iron is one of the most abundant metals on the planet. Good thing, too — iron is essential to most life forms, including humans. Iron is important to many of the proteins and enzymes that help maintain good health. What does iron do for the body? Iron is an essential component in the proteins that carry oxygen through the body. An iron deficiency can reduce oxygen delivery to the cells, leaving a person fatigued and with a compromised immune system. Iron is used by the body to help regulate cell growth and cell differentiation. The majority of the iron in … Continue reading

Six More Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

You want to turn your body into a lean, mean fat-burning machine? Great! Here are six more ways to give your metabolism a jump start. Drink plenty of water. Better yet — drink cold water. Research from Germany suggests that the extra work your body does to heat the water to body temperature can give your metabolism a boost. Aim for six cups (forty-eight ounces) of cold water daily. Make sure you get plenty of iron in your diet. Iron is essential for carrying oxygen through your body. Your muscles need oxygen in order to burn fat. So if you … Continue reading

Six Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Want your body to become a more efficient fat-burning machine? Try these tips! Be sure that you are eating enough. Starving yourself will make your body slow your metabolism — not speed it up! For most women, eating around 1400 calories daily will keep your metabolism moving. Less than 1200 calories per day is less than your body needs for basic biological function — so your body will be forced to break down muscle for energy. That’s not a good thing. Make sure you include breakfast in your day. That early morning meal gives you a burst of energy AND … Continue reading

Weight a Minute! – The Fruit Diet

I have recovered from the Great Potato Salad Debacle of 2007 and am now at 260.2 pounds. It was so not worth eating the potato salad to wander around in 264+ land for two weeks, and I have learned my lesson. I’ve also been off chocolate for over four weeks now. Yeah me! Now, a little while ago I mentioned a fruit diet that gave me a boost in the right direction. I’d like to share a little more of that with you today. I found it in Woman’s World magazine, the July 24th, 2007 edition, page 18. The magazine … Continue reading

Dear Heather, Do You Trust the Calorie Counter?

Good morning, welcome to our third edition of Dear Heather and this week, we’ve got three good questions to discuss. I’m not sure if we’ll be featuring Dear Heather next week, though we’ll let next week take care of itself when it gets here. In the meanwhile, it’s December 21st and we have just 4 shopping days left till Christmas – including today – so I’ll try not to keep you here too long if you’ve got places to be. Do Calorie Counters Work? Dear Heather, I’ve been trying to get my workout in regularly and I have a gym … Continue reading